NEW YORK — Baseball's labor negotiators made little headway at a rare weekend bargaining session, leaving players on course to set a strike deadline when their executive board meets Monday in Chicago.

        The sides met twice Saturday for a total of about 90 minutes but spent much of the day in caucuses. They planned to meet again Sunday, but there didn't appear to be much likelihood they would reach an agreement before the union meeting.

        “The setting of a strike date is an internal union matter,” said Rob Manfred, the owners' top labor lawyer. “They want to set a strike date, I guess they're going to set a strike date.”

        Talks have taken an increased urgency in recent weeks, with players wanting to press for a deal without setting a deadline. The sides have spent much of their time on lesser issues, leaving the key topics of revenue sharing and a luxury tax on payrolls for later.

        Players fear they will be locked out or owners will change work rules if the season in completed without a contract to replace the one that expired in November. The union would prefer to control the timing of a work stoppage, threatening one late in the season, when there is more pressure on owners.

        Manfred, sounding tired, described Saturday as “maybe not the most productive in terms of closing things off. But this process doesn't go forward at a completely even pace,” he said.

        Owners made counterproposals Saturday on debt regulation and drug testing. While he said the sides were “very, very” close to an agreement on debt regulation, drug testing was still a topic of disagreement.

        “They had identified some areas where they wanted us to move in their direction, and we distinctly moved in their direction,” Manfred said. But he added, “I'm not sure they feel like we moved any closer to actually getting it done.”

        Union lawyer Gene Orza thought some progress was made but said getting into the differences in public wouldn't be productive.

        “In the drug testing area, despite what we regard as the enormous step we took, we still have some differences,” he said.

        Owners proposed random testing for illegal steroids, nutritional supplements like the testosterone-booster androstenedione and for “recreational” drugs like cocaine. Players proposed random testing only for illegal steroids.

        While owners asked for an agreement on specific penalties, players at first proposed the penalties be based on “just cause.” They said they have since moved toward the owners on that topic, but didn't want to discuss the details.

        “We made headway on the nutritional supplements issue and we made headway on the discipline issue,” Manfred said.

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